Free Hellboy: Odd Jobs by Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola

inflection.
    "Here, up here, right up here by these
    "
    For a moment, all eyes moved to the shelf above Guy.
    Stealing his chance, he pulled with all his might on the free-standing shelving unit, and suddenly the woman, the muffled man, and the Directeur were lost in a shower of paper and cardboard and jars and fetuses and glass.
    As the heavy shelving toppled onto them, Guy leapt over the racks. The red demon took a swipe at Guy, but he was clear of the monster's reach with the shelving taking up almost half the floor space now. Guy snatched up his empty backpack and darted out of the archives and down the corridor.
    Hellboy rushed to lift the shelving unit off the trio. Free of its decades-old burdens, the shelving was light and lifted easily, but the contents had buried all but Kate's head and Abe's legs. Kate was coughing, but Abe was making a horrible sound.
    "Katie! Abe
    are you all right?"
    "The Directeur ," Kate managed to sputter, "help the Directeur
    "
    Abe was in trouble. All around him was broken glass, some of it jutting from oversized jar lids. A tangle of fins and fur and tentacles lay over his coat and head, and the one gloved hand Hellboy could see was twitching in agony. The smell of formaldehyde was pungent and ever-present.
    "Jeez, Abe," Hellboy muttered as he lifted his friend up from the debris with one arm, and spun the other to unwrap the scarf from his throat. The formaldehyde had saturated the scarf, Abe's clothes, and his gills were making a wrenching sucking sound.
    "Christ, help the Directeur ," Kate shouted, pulling herself free of the wreckage.
    "We're losing Abe," Hellboy insisted, prompting Kate to take her first look at their partner since they'd entered the Faculté. Hellboy had succeeded in getting the wraps and headgear off Abe's head and neck, but he was clearly in trouble.
    Kate rushed to Hellboy's side. "There were some bathroom showers down the corridor," she recalled, "I'll get him to them. Help the Directeur, find out where that miserable little bastard lives."
    With an exchange of looks and Abe's trembling self, Kate and Hellboy switched places. By the time Kate had managed to hustle Abe out of the room, Hellboy had uncovered the Directeur. Shards of broken glass pierced the old man's face and there was blood everywhere, but the cuts seemed superficial. The state of shock the old man was in, however, was deepening.
    Hellboy didn't try to lift the old man. He swept the debris laying on and around him aside, clearing a space for the Directeur. Hellboy took off his trench coat and draped it over the old man. It looked huge over the frail

    fellow, covering him completely like a blanket.
    "Try not to move, Directeur ," Hellboy whispered. "We'll have a doctor here in no time."
    "Guy
    " the old man whispered back.
    "I'm after him. Do you know where he lives?"
    The Directeur swallowed once, twice, then raised his voice.
    "He takes the Metro
    to Boulevard Richard'lenoir
    a second floor appartement
    the number
    "
    Guy cradled the head in his lap. Thankfully, no one else was on the Metro this morning, so he could pull the edge of his backpack down and look at it now and again. Even when it was covered, it spoke to him, soothed him, comforted him.
    It whispered fortune and infamy, purges and pyres, and chuckled at the threat of women and demons. They were nothing to fret over, it assured him.
    It offered more predictions, and told Guy of the armies they would sire together. But first, it was hungry.
    He made his way to the door, which was partially open. He could see the backpack, empty on the rug, and heard something crooning inside. Hellboy eased to the door of the appartement, hoping to get a look at whatever was inside. There was a light on, and Guy sat in an odd position in the middle of the bed at the far side of the room. He was still sweating like a pig and moaning softly, and seemed to be cradling something in his lap.
    The fellow remained oblivious to Hellboy's presence as he stole